Diameter messages often include multiple attribute-value pairs (AVPs) that Diameter applications use for the exchange of Diameter application information. For example Diameter applications may use Diameter AVPs to exchange Diameter overload capabilities with each other so that the Diameter applications can subsequently exchange Diameter overload control information. One example of how Diameter nodes may exchange Diameter overload control capabilities is described in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Internet draft draft-roach-dime-overload-ctrl-03, May 17, 2013, (hereinafter, “Roach Diameter Overload Control Internet Draft”), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Another example of how Diameter nodes may exchange Diameter overload control capabilities is described in IETF Internet draft draft-ietf-dime-ovli-02.txt, Mar. 27, 2014 (hereinafter, “OVLI Diameter Overload Control Internet Draft”), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The Roach Diameter Overload Control Internet Draft is now expired and thus not a standards-track Internet Draft. The OVLI Diameter Overload Control Internet Draft expires Sep. 28, 2014, and is currently believed to be a standards-track Internet Draft. Both Internet Drafts use AVPs to carry overload control capabilities, and either may be implemented in a Diameter network.
One problem with using Diameter AVPs to exchange Diameter application information occurs when the applications are required to include the AVPs in each message and the information does not change often. Continuing with the overload control example, two Diameter nodes may initially exchange overload control capabilities and continue to include the overload control capabilities information in subsequent messages. However, the overload control capabilities of an application may not change until a software upgrade, which is infrequent. Each Diameter application is required to parse all of the Diameter AVPs it receives, even though the overload control capabilities remain unchanged. This unnecessary parsing wastes processing resources of Diameter nodes.
As extensions to overload control and Diameter applications continue to be defined, the number of extension AVPs in Diameter messages continue to increase. When such extension AVPs are included in each message and do not change frequently, the repeated processing of such AVPs is unnecessary. Accordingly, what is needed is a mechanism for selectively processing of Diameter extension AVPs based on changes to such AVPs.
In light of these and other difficulties, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer readable media for controlling deep parsing of Diameter messages.